Elementary Music Objectives

Kindergarten

Explore sound and music through singing, movement, listening, and playing instruments

Explore concept of steady beat

Develop singing voices and build a repertoire of age-appropriate songs

First Grade

Introduce concept of music notation using visual aids and movement.

Explore the concept of steady beat, melody, and rhythm by participating in a variety of activities,
including singing games, and activities involving dance and movement.

Experience playing a variety of instruments, including barred percussion (xylophones, metallophones,

glockenspiels) drums, and assorted hand percussion instruments.

Develop singing voices and build a repertoire of age-appropriate songs, with connections from various
countries.

Improvises a simple rhythmic or melodic pattern using voice or instruments.

Second Grade

Explores music literacy by reading and writing rhythms and basic music symbols.

Explore the concepts of steady beat, melody, rhythm and form by participating in a variety of activities,
including singing games, activities involving dance and movement, and playing assorted instruments.

Develop singing voices and build a repertoire of age-appropriate songs

Develop ensemble skills, through participation in various group music making activities, that promote
and foster teamwork, respect, tolerance, problem-solving, and creativity, as well as singing and
instrumental techniques

Create their own rhythmic or melodic patterns while playing instruments or using body percussion
(snap, pat, clap, stamp) by using improvisation.

Analyze and respond to works of famous composers.

Develop music vocabulary

Third Grade

Explore music literacy and further develop musical skills by learning to play the recorder

Continues to explore music literacy by reading and writing rhythms, melodies and basic music symbols.

Explore the concepts of steady beat, melody, rhythm and form by participating in a variety of activities,
including singing games, activities involving dance and movement, and playing assorted instruments.

Aurally and visually identifies instrument families and folk instruments.

Develop singing voices and build a repertoire of age-appropriate songs

Develop ensemble skills, through participation in various group music making activities, that promote
and foster teamwork, respect, tolerance, problem-solving, and creativity, as well as singing and
instrumental techniques

Create their own rhythmic or melodic patterns through improvisation while playing instruments or using
body percussion (snap, pat, clap, stamp).

Analyze and respond to works of famous composers.

Develop music vocabulary

Fourth Grade
Continues to explore music literacy by reading and writing rhythms, melodies, and basic music symbols.

Further develop singing skills, including singing in parts, vocal technique, learn age-appropriate
repertoire and performance etiquette by participating in chorus.

Explore the concepts of steady beat, melody, rhythm and form by participating in a variety of activities,
including singing games, activities involving dance and movement, and playing assorted instruments.

Develop ensemble skills, through participation in various group music making activities, that promote
and foster teamwork, respect, tolerance, problem-solving, and creativity, as well as singing and
instrumental techniques

Create their own rhythmic or melodic patterns through improvisation while playing instruments or using
body percussion (snap, pat, clap, stamp).

Analyze and respond to works of famous composers.

Develop music vocabulary

Fourth Grade Band

Sings passages from fourth grade band repertoire

Performs a varied repertoire of music on pitched and non-pitched instruments with some expressive
elements

Produces sounds with proper technique

Creates melodies and rhythmic patterns

Reads and writes simple melodies in the appropriate clef

Analyzes musical events using appropriate music vocabulary

Identifies what elements contribute to the effectiveness and quality of a musical ensemble

Articulates the connection between music and other subjects

Fourth Grade Chorus

History of Music

Music has been a part of human history since ancient times. When composing music, musicians use
percussion instruments, wind instruments, and stringed instruments to produce sounds and tones.
Percussion instruments like drums and rattles provide rhythm in a musical composition. Wind
instruments produce sound in response to the musician's breath. Stringed instruments such as the harp,
guitar, and violin produce sound using tuned strings.

There are several notable ages in the history of music, including:

Music in Ancient Greece and Early Christian Rome - Music was part of ancient theatre, worship, and
dance in Ancient Greece. Ancient Greek vases show people playing instruments and singing. As
Christianity spread through Western Europe, music became incorporated into worship and prayer.

This vase dated circa 440 BCE features two youths and a flute player.

Ceramic vase from around 440 BCE depicts two youths next to a flute player.

Middle Ages - The Middle Ages occurred between 450 and 1450 CE. Aristocratic courts and churches
frequently used music in the Middle Ages, and there is evidence of music notation from this time.
Popular songs for entertainment focused on religion, love, and current events. Many musical
compositions from the Middle Ages used monophony or a single melodic line.

Renaissance - During the Renaissance, or ''rebirth,'' of the late 1400s through the early 1600s,
Gutenberg invented an efficient printing press, which allowed for the printing of music. In contrast with
the monophony of Medieval music, Renaissance music was typically polyphonous and featured at least
two independent melodic lines.

Baroque Period - The Baroque Period took place in the 17th and 18th centuries. New forms like the
passion, oratorio, and cantata rose to prominence. J.S. Bach (1685-17750), Handel (1685-1759), and
Vivaldi (1678-1741) are notable Baroque composers.

Classical Period - The string quartet and symphony became popular musical forms during the classical
period. Composers like Haydn (1732-1809), Mozart (1756-1791), and Beethoven (1770-1827) further
developed the sonata, concerto, and overture in this era.

Nineteenth-Century Music - Also known as the Romantic Period, music created in the 19th century
attempted to evoke emotion through melody and expressive harmony. Schubert (1797-1828), Chopin
(182-1849), Brahms (1883-1897), Richard Wagner (1813-1883), Tchaikovsky (1840-1893), and Dvorak
(1841-1904) produced important musical works during the 19th century.

Twentieth-Century Music - The Modern era of music introduced impressionism and expressionism.
Impressionist songs emphasize the creation of emotion or sensation, and expressionist songs use
abstraction to portray the essence of a subject. Well-known modern composers include Debussy (1862-
1918), Rachmaninoff (1873-1943), and Richard Strauss (1864-1949).

Origin of Music in the Prehistory Period

It is challenging to ascertain when music originated, but archaeological evidence indicates that humans
have used musical instruments since at least 40,000 years ago. Because organic materials like wood and
bone can biodegrade over time, it is possible that older instruments existed despite there being no
remaining evidence.

An important artifact in Slovenia provides some clues about the history of music. In 1995, researchers
discovered a bear's femur bone with holes in it and posited that it might be an ancient flute. Still, it is
unclear whether the holes were naturally created or formed by humans.

Music in the Ancient World

Understanding the history of music in the ancient world primarily requires analyzing archeological
evidence. The oldest playable musical instrument is a Neolithic flute discovered in central China. These
flutes were formed from the bones of cranes and included between five and eight drilled holes. For
thousands of years, Chinese leaders also added musical instruments like drums, ocarinas, and chimes to
their tombs.

In Mesopotamia, archaeologists found evidence of musical expression dating back thousands of years.
The Oxus trumpet was created around 2000 BCE, and arched harps from the third millennium BCE have
been discovered in Western Iran. Pictorial depictions show harpists performing with drummers,
vocalists, and wind players as far back as the third millennium in Mesopotamia.

Archaeological evidence also suggests that music was important in ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece.
''Seikilos Epitaph'' is an Ancient Greek musical composition from the first century CE. This epitaph was
inscribed on a marble column at a gravesite in Turkey. Archaeologists have found pictorial depictions of
musical instruments on monuments, temples, and tombs from these ancient civilizations.
Medieval and Byzantine Periods

The evolution of music continued during the Medieval and Byzantine periods. The Middle Ages (450-
1450) were marked by the spread of the Black Death and the Christian Crusades. While members of the
nobility were highly influential during this era, the Catholic Church was especially powerful. Musicians
produced musical works for both of these groups in the Middle Ages as forms of worship or
entertainment. By 800 CE, many songs were recorded using a notation that is still legible today.

Medieval Christian churches used monophonic chants as part of their worship rituals, including Catholic
Mass. Byzantine Period (c. 395 CE-1453 CE) chants were also monophonic. Hymns were popular during
this time. German nun Hildegard of Bingen is a well-known composer from the Middle Ages who created
songs that nuns could sing during religious worship. Singing a cappella, or without instrumental
accompaniment, was common during this era.